![]() ![]() We have been partially victorious in this battle so far, as we have managed to prevent many of these proposals from being approved. Still, there are those moments of utter helplessness, like when colleagues and supporters are murdered. ![]() ![]() And despite all this, it is up to us to keep fighting even harder for this scenario to change, and for it to change soon.įor two years we have been hoping to carry out an expedition to showcase the Amazon We Need, which was postponed because of the pandemic. In this very important and decisive election year for Brazil and the Amazon, we embrace the challenge of talking more about the thriving and just Amazon that we must build, strengthening the hope that still resides in us. On the way from Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, to the expedition destination on the Manicoré River, we saw many contrasts. From the exuberance and strength of the Madeira River, to an absurd number of mining dredges. It was on this journey that we learned that Indigenous rights expert Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips had disappeared. This forced us to face stark contrasts yet again, this time between the feeling of sadness and revolt, with the certainty that we need to remain strong in the fight to reverse this path of destruction and violence that has been fostered in the Amazon by Brazil’s anti-environment government. The purpose of the expedition was to support the struggle of the communities of the Manicoré River, which for 16 years have demanded the protection of the forest and recognition of their rights to the territory. In addition, the expedition provided a platform to research the biodiversity of the region, which is still understudied. Due to deforestation, we are losing species that science has not even had time to discover! This support for the scientific community in Brazil comes after we have supported master’s and doctoral researchers who study biodiversity with scholarships in previous years. Since 2006, families associated with the Central of the Manicoré River Agroextractive Associations (CAARIM) have sought to create the Manicoré River Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS) – a protected area that would not only enact, by law, the conservation of that region, but would also allow them to continue managing the area’s resources in a sustainable manner, such as fish, fruits, wood and chestnut trees. Our home for almost a month was a regional boat that housed approximately 60 people on board: Our group consisted of about 15 researchers linked to the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA), and partner institutions, the Greenpeace team and members of the Manicoré River communities. During the expedition we received journalists and German actor Mortiz Jahn who fell in love with the Amazon. ![]()
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